How to Manage Product Backlog in Product Management

Product backlog is a list that contains the sequence of things that need to be done to increase the value of a product. This list can continue to grow and become the Scrum Team's sole reference work.

The goal of the product backlog is so that each team can focus on what is currently being done, but not forgetting other tasks that must be done. This is because there is a deadline for each assignment.

However, the product backlog is also flexible. That is, the product owner as the main project stakeholder can change the priority of tasks based on the factors previously mentioned. However, these changes must be as minimal as possible so as not to interfere with the work of the development team.

How to Manage Product Backlog

The product backlog serves as a guide for the entire team involved. Therefore, the product backlog must be written in simple, clear, and complete language to avoid miscommunication.

In practice, the team often encounters bottlenecks because the backlog is too large. A product backlog that is too large can cause many problems because it can slow down product development, hinder innovation, and increase maintenance costs. In order to avoid the risks, here's how to manage the product backlog.

1. Determine the product owner

There should be one person responsible for the backlog on the Scrum Team. The responsibility is usually held by the product owner. Later, the product owner will be responsible for managing the content, availability, and order of priority.

In addition, the product owner must also work closely with the team and external stakeholders. Most importantly, the product owner must have knowledge about the product and have the authority to make backlog decisions without the involvement of other parties.

2. Determine product goals

To be able to compile a product backlog, the product owner must understand the business needs or product goals to be achieved. Therefore, the product owner must first understand the needs of stakeholders by determining the problem to be solved by the product (problem to be solved), proposing a solution to solve the problem (proposed solution), and determining criteria to measure the success of the solution made (success indicator). .

3. Create Product Backlog Items (PBI)

After completing determining the problem, solution, and success indicators, the product owner can determine the backlog to be worked on. To create a backlog, it is necessary to first understand the components that make up a PBI and the criteria that must be met.

4. Determine the order of priority backlog

The order of the backlog can be determined by looking at the business value of each backlog. PBI will be sorted from those with the highest business value to the lowest. After that, backlog execution is carried out sequentially from top to bottom.

5. Create a simple strategy in managing the backlog

When carrying out these tips, it is important for the product owner to create a simple and clear strategy on how to manage savings. Don't forget to involve the team in the process, because the product owner is not the only one responsible for maintaining the backlog.

Invite each team member to contribute in maintaining and managing the backlog. For this to work, each team member must have a basic understanding of the backlog.

6. Set boundaries

So that the backlog is not over capacity, the product owner needs to set limits on how many items are available in the backlog. There is no absolute amount, but this can be determined by the product owner. This is because the product owner is responsible for the backlog, so the capacity to manage the information is determined by the product owner himself.

Those are six ways to manage the product backlog. The methods above can help the product owner manage the product backlog properly. With proper product backlog management, companies can accelerate innovation and provide the best quality products to consumers.